Japan was elected host country of World Expo 2025 by Member States of the BIE during the 164th General Assembly on 23 November 2018.

Japan will continue to work with the BIE to formalise its World Expo project and will submit a definitive implementation plan, known as a registration dossier. This dossier will be submitted to the BIE at least five years before the opening date of the Expo, so that it can be formally registered by the General Assembly.

Never before have humankind’s capabilities been as developed as they are now.

Unprecedented economic growth and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the collaborative initiative for addressing global issues, have pulled more than one billion people out of dire poverty. Moreover, breakthroughs in science and technology have pushed the boundaries of human potential and permanently changed the way we interact with the world around us.

However, progress has not been brought about without new challenges. Economic growth has also produced income and wealth inequality, giving rise to social unrest and conflicts. Breakthrough technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to arouse anxiety about the value and quality of human life.

The new reality forces us to confront some of the most profound questions about the human experience. What is happiness? What is fulfilment?

What the world requires is a new approach that can expand human potential, get over the challenges of today, and provide guidelines for a better future; a better life for more people, all over the world, and a practical vision of the future that is not only created for all, but is created by all.

The theme of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", intends to approach such complex issues through facilitating the participation of as many people as possible and bringing their ideas together to design a more inclusive and sustainable future.

The overarching theme of World Expo 2025 Osaka, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives" is supported by two subthemes:

How to Lead a Healthy Life in a Diverse Manner

Sustainable Socioeconomic Systems

It aims to focus on human lives.

The theme calls on each and every individual to think about their own aspirations and empower them to realise their full potential and push forward the worldwide effort to create a sustainable society that embraces all such aspirations.

It aligns with global efforts to tackle the common international community issues outlined in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within three specific focus areas: Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. A pivotal step in achieving these goals will be the actualisation of Society 5.0, Japan’s catalysing initiative to empower individuals to confront head-on the issues of the times, by leveraging the technological breakthroughs in the Internet of Things, AI, robotics and big data, among others. Expo 2025 Osaka will be a place to co-create a sustainable society that can support the aspirations of all through the sharing of new ideas from each participant.

Osaka, Kansai, has a world-class transportation infrastructure. The city is serviced by three major airports, numerous large seaports, and connected to the rest of Japan through a network of immaculate superhighways and world-famous Shinkansen bullet trains. Access for both domestic and international guests could not be easier.

An analysis of the expected approximately 28 million visitors and resulting accommodation requirements, together with plans for new construction and assumptions for the demand of other visitors, demonstrates that Osaka-Kansai’s accommodation would be more than sufficient. Even at peak visiting periods, there would be room to spare in nearby hotels.

The venue itself, Yumeshima Island (which literally translates as dream island) is a man-made island owned by Osaka City. This allows authorities total freedom to design and develop the infrastructure required for an optimal Expo experience. With its captivating views of the Seto Inland Sea, its continuous light breeze, and its proximity to central Osaka—only 20 to 30 minutes from downtown—Yumeshima Island can live up to its name as a dream venue for the Expo.

The Kansai region, with Osaka as its hub, is a region with a daring spirit to challenge, a rich culture that blends the traditional with the modern, and advanced life-sciences technologies as well as other fields. The city has borne many unique ideas and inventions, like instant ramen, karaoke, and conveyor-belt sushi that have had great, long-lasting benefits to the daily lives of many.

For more than 1,600 years, the Kansai region, which includes the cities of Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto, was home to Japan’s capital. Nara was called the eastern-most stop on the fabled Silk Road, serving as a gateway to ideas and influences from around the world.

Astoundingly, half of Japan’s National Treasures, and 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be found in the Kansai region. Osaka, Kansai, has been recognised one of the world’s safest, most secure and liveable cities. Osaka hosted a World Expo in 1970 and a Horticultural Expo in 1990.